Talin, the fourth-ranked assassin in the Hunter's Arm and a Skull-rank master who had cultivated to the peak of the second level, had countless lives on his hands. His grasp of the human heart was already perfected to the point of artistry. He thought that facing a choice concerning the lives of everyone in the grand hall would at least cause Yang Ying a moment of hesitation. Anyone facing such a critical, sudden situation would hesitate; even a third-level peak master was no exception. In a contest between masters of comparable strength, that single instant of hesitation could determine the outcome of the battle.

However, to his surprise, Yang Ying showed no hesitation at all. He merely unleashed a peculiar technique, freezing everyone in place, and then engaged Talin with his full strength. In a direct clash of swordsmanship, he was no match for Yang Ying and was immediately at a disadvantage. What shocked Talin even more was that the strange technique Yang Ying used had somehow protected everyone within the concert hall. Whether it was falling debris or high-explosive blasts, or even the aftershocks of a battle between peak masters, none of it could harm a single strand of hair on these ordinary people.

“What is this? What kind of technique is this?” Talin’s defensive perimeter was being compressed by Yang Ying’s twin swords, the pressure increasing rapidly. Just then, a bulky figure charged forward—it was Warren Gas, joining the fray. Wielding a silver lightsaber, he teamed up with Yang Ying to surround and attack Talin!

Actually, the freezing technique Yang Ying employed was a special ability belonging to the Arbitrator, the final and, in some ways, most powerful type of combat vessel utilized by the Protoss in the StarCraft generation.

The Arbitrator took longer to construct than a Carrier and could only be commanded by a powerful Hierarch. It possessed strategic power, capable of generating a cloaking field to shield allied units, or creating a Stargate to summon friendly forces from any distance. And then there was the technique Yang Ying just used: the Stasis Field!

Yang Ying hadn't actually summoned an Arbitrator, but he could still simulate the Arbitrator’s spells using his psionic power and a preliminary substitute for the Arbitrator—which, externally, looked like a small ring worn on Yang Ying’s right hand.

Naturally, without the power amplification of an Arbitrator’s energy matrix, the range of the Stasis Field was limited. However, covering an entire concert hall and a small section of the street outside was manageable with his level of power as a peak master.

Any person or object enveloped by the Stasis Field had their very spacetime frozen, rendering them immune to harm and unable to move even a fraction of an inch. Even a nuclear explosion outside could not penetrate it; in terms of defense, it was truly impregnable.

Talin was unaware of this. The advantage he had painstakingly built was instantly reversed. Yang Ying pressed his attack without reservation, soaring into the air and relentlessly striking at Talin. His two lightsabers danced unpredictably, seeking flaws in Talin’s defenses. Coupled with Warren Gas harassing him from the side, Talin was forced into constant parries and blocks.

Given Warren Gas’s strength, facing Talin, who was a master of assassination, he might have been eliminated in the first exchange. But with Yang Ying nearby, whenever Warren Gas encountered danger, Yang Ying’s fierce assault would force Talin to withdraw and defend, preventing him from attacking with his full might.

The residual shockwaves of the battle spread out, striking the shattered ruins of the concert hall and tearing the already dilapidated remnants into even greater wreckage. But when these waves hit the massive ice sphere, they had no effect, like a gentle breeze over a mountain peak or the bright moon over a vast river; the great ice sphere remained utterly still.

After several dozen more exchanges, Talin realized the situation was lost and that staying longer would only lead to further humiliation. He suffered another injury, losing his left arm, before turning and fleeing at full speed.

Yang Ying did not want to pursue the chase through the city; using Stasis Fields everywhere would inevitably cause widespread panic. But not using them meant facing heavy casualties.

By now, news of the battle had spread. Yang Ying sensed a Star Singer warship approaching, and various alien onlookers who happened to be passing by stopped to watch. Seeing the massive ice sphere, they pointed and discussed it in their various languages.

“You were lucky,” Yang Ying scoffed. He retracted the lightsabers in both hands and landed on the ground with Warren Gas.

Shortly after, the Star Singer warship arrived overhead, and a contingent of Star Singer warriors soon descended to establish a perimeter around the concert hall, preventing onlookers from getting too close. Landing with the ship was a commander whose strength was at the Quasi-Master level. He located the only two relatively composed individuals at the scene: Yang Ying and Warren Gas.

“I am the highest-ranking military commander of the Saul Star Base. May I ask the two Masters what exactly happened here?” the Star Singer commander asked, gesturing toward the massive ice sphere.

He had witnessed the battle between Yang Ying, Warren Gas, and Talin via optical imaging from the warship. However, because Talin had used his invisibility technique, the footage showed Yang Ying fighting with two golden lightsabers and Warren Gas with one silver lightsaber, against a single golden lightsaber seemingly dancing in the void.

This scene was enough to confirm that Yang Ying was a peak Master, and Warren Gas was also a Master-level expert. This was sufficient to command his attention. On Saul Star, a first-class supply planet, he himself, a Quasi-Master, was the highest-ranking officer; they couldn’t even find a single third-level expert here.

Third-level masters were so rare that there was roughly only one for every five hundred million people. Saul Star’s total population, including transient residents, was only around ten million. Having a third-level master manage this—

“The prospect of dealing with the Kusta people is far more meaningful,” he thought, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Therefore, when he saw a peak Master and a Master standing before him, the commander could only inquire respectfully.

“There was a third-level assassin named Talin who attempted to assassinate me. I drove him away,” Yang Ying replied truthfully.

“What! Did a battle between two peaks occur here?” The Star Singer commander was instantly shocked. But recalling the golden lightsaber dancing out of nowhere on the optical screen, it suddenly made sense: “So it was him, Talin, the one skilled in invisibility techniques.”

“I didn’t expect,” the Star Singer commander turned to look at the collapsed concert hall, “that a battle between peak masters would happen in a concert hall. Are those people frozen by ice all casualties?”

“Not at all, they are fine. The freezing will end soon,” Yang Ying stated.

Just as he finished speaking, the several hundred seemingly thick ice shells abruptly vanished. The frozen people regained consciousness. On the half-collapsed stage in the original hall, Sirona, still wholeheartedly immersed in her singing, suddenly found the hall transformed into ruins and let out a sharp scream.

The judges and the audience also realized that in the blink of an eye, the hall had become unrecognizable.

During the period they were enveloped by the Stasis Field, their thoughts had also been suspended. The entire process was absent from their memory; at most, they remembered the explosion on the ceiling at the beginning, and the memory picked up from the present moment.

Upon learning the effect of the stasis, the commander couldn’t help but exclaim, “What an incredibly powerful spell! Truly worthy of a peak Master-level figure.” He paused, then added, “It’s just a pity that it brought down the concert hall. Many of our comrades will surely be saddened. This concert hall has a very long history, over two hundred years.”

“I deeply regret the collateral damage to the concert hall caused by the battle and am willing to compensate for the losses,” Yang Ying felt he should take responsibility, as the incident originated with him. As for his own losses, he would have to settle those with Talin.

“It is excellent that the Master has such intentions,” the Star Singer commander did not refuse. He then lowered his voice and requested, “However, a battle between peaks occurred on Saul Star. This is truly not something a minor officer like myself can resolve. If possible, I hope the Master can stay for a few more days until someone from higher command arrives to conduct a thorough investigation. I would be eternally grateful.”

“This does not align with our travel schedule,” Warren Gas interjected. In his view, since Master Yang Ying had already agreed to compensation, this Quasi-Master was pushing his luck by asking them to stay and wait for superiors to investigate—wasn't that beneath their status?

Yang Ying nodded. “I also feel there is no benefit in staying here. It is best to depart as soon as possible and avoid further complications.”

“This makes things difficult for me as well,” the Star Singer commander knew his position was weak; even all the military forces on Saul Star combined might not be able to detain the two before him. He could only vent his frustrations in front of them.

Meanwhile, with the situation having reached this point, the song contest clearly could not continue. However, the Star Singers were extremely dedicated to their music. The judges conferred briefly and announced on the spot that the competition would be postponed for half a month, pending the construction of a new concert hall.

With the Star Singers' architectural technology and work efficiency, cleaning up the debris and completing the reconstruction would certainly take no longer than half a month.

Many audience members were still confused about how the concert hall instantly turned to ruins while they remained safe. The Star Singer commander dispatched a squad of soldiers to calm them down.

Not long after, the Captain and his group walked over. They had already guessed that whatever happened in the concert hall was related to Yang Ying.

Sirona was with them, tears welling in her eyes. She was clearly upset that her rare, above-par performance had been cut short by the suspension of the competition. The Captain, being her father, comforted her briefly, saying that if she could perform exceptionally once, she could do it again, which finally brought a smile back to her face.

“Old Captain, you’ve come.”

“Soldier, why wouldn't I come?”

The commander clearly knew the Captain. As soon as the Captain arrived, he was drawn into the conversation. Yang Ying realized this was natural; after all, they were both Quasi-Masters and shared common ground. Moreover, the Captain’s ship carried powerful psychics like Rufeelin and Hoke, indicating their status was far from ordinary, not just a freighter crew traveling the cosmos.

The Old Captain listened to the commander airing his grievances, thought for a moment, and then said, “Soldier, think about it. Master Yang Ying is Terran. You must have heard of Terrans. The news has been talking about them constantly. If you keep Master Yang Ying here on Saul Star waiting for higher-ups to arrive, what is the point? What if Talin returns before the superiors arrive? Wouldn’t that result in this entire city being demolished? In my view, it is crucial to let Master Yang leave as soon as possible. Earth has our embassy there; let Ambassador Jiyuna handle this matter.”

“This,” it was easier to talk to someone familiar. The commander considered the point carefully and nodded. “Since Old Captain says so, perhaps that is the best way.”